The Lost Island
by Belle Princesse168
Summary: As a part of a mission for the Order, Hermione suddenly finds herself planewrecked on a stranded island. Unfortunately, it just so happens that she's not alone...could a possible Death Eater come to save the day? R&R!
1. Plane Wrecked

**Chapter One: Plane-Wrecked**

The fire burned.

Swirling colors of orange, burgundy, and gold penetrated the sky as the flames continued to flicker one, growing brighter and stronger as the sun continued to set. Gray, inscrutable smoke rings rose ceremoniously above the blaze, gradually forming bland loops of dust and grime. Sparks flew in all various directions, blazoning their presence for the entire world to see.

And besides the soft swishing of the waves and the slight brushing of palm trees, all was silent.

Silence.

A tear slid down a woman's cheek. She was watching, watching as she saw her world turned to dust. The bodies of her family and friends were slowly dissolving into the bright torrents of fire. The smell of burnt human flesh ingrained itself in her mind as she struggled to breath. The destruction of her life and world as she knew it penetrated her heart and soul as she struggled to live.

It was over. The Dark War was over. They had lost. They had failed. They were beaten. There was nothing left to it. The reign of the creatures – barely recognizable as humans – had begun. The Death Eaters were going to cheer and start spreading their impenetrable darkness across the earth, their fearful poison seeping into every single pebble, every creature, and every single grain of sand. Evil would corrupt the minds of the younger generations to come.

It was over.

The woman lifted her head slowly, her amber eyes engulfed with fresh, sparkling tears. She wasn't afraid anymore. She had lost. The Light Side was conquered from the moment the plane started to plummet toward the ground, faster and faster. Both muggles and wizards alike were killed. The failure of the plane's engine was attributed to a Death Eater's curse sent to destroy all that was left of lightness in the world.

They were defeated.

Shakily, the woman started walking towards the plane, ignoring the sudden impact of a heat wave on her skin.

Glazed eyes stared back at her – eyes that once were bright and shining and joyful. Now they were all dead – faint spirits that no longer lived.

The woman stopped as she neared a pair of eyes that were only too recognizable. They were dimmed emeralds, only ghosts of their once lively past. A lightning bolt scar ran through the man's head, a reminder to those that hope still existed in the world. Now, that ray of hope was extinguished. It was no more.

No more hope. No more faith.

Ever since the Dark Lord had obtained a body and his former power, the Order became restless. Spies roamed free and managed to infiltrate even the most protected secrets. No one was safe anymore. No one was to be trusted.

To no surprise, Voldemort's attempt to track down Harry Potter had kept the entire place scrambling on its feet. Aurors were trained to address even the slightest suspicious move. New members had to past a variety of different tests to prove their loyalty. Even then, they were not trusted completely.

The latest mission for the Order was to track Voldemort's location. After endless months of searching, they had finally managed to pinpoint a vague area that was strongly suspected to have been the Dark Lord's hideaway. With renewed determination, the Order had assigned a few members to sneak undercover and confirm Voldemort's position.

Their bodies were found a few weeks later.

It was then Harry Potter who suggested that he went, under the disguise of a morphing potion and various other strong security spells. Riots, protests, and arguments broke out. It was too dangerous. He would be killed. Death Eaters would be able to uncover him. The Dark Magic was too strong for him to fight.

But Harry managed to persuade the rest of the Order somehow. It was the best plan, he argued, because it was the least obvious. Voldemort would not expect Harry to try to confront him directly. Instead, Voldemort would expect him to be in hiding, while the Order sent troops of lesser importance to fight the war. Besides, Harry hasn't been seen for months on end – many Death Eaters presumed him dead or at least weakened terribly.

It made sense.

Hesitantly, the Order finally gave in to his wishes. Harry, after covering him up significantly and disguising as a common muggle, brought with him the best team possible – Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, George and Fred Weasley, Seamus Finningham, Dean Thomas, Ginny Weasley, and a few more trusted members. Just a few days ago, they were packing up to travel to Hungary – Voldemort's suspected hideaway – on an innocent vacation as tourists.

And suddenly, the plane engine started to sputter in the middle of their trip. And then, to everyone's surprise, it started to plummet towards the ground, accelerating greatly at each second.

The rivers of blood then began to run again.

Brushing her tears away, the woman broke her gaze from the man with dim green eyes and started to trudge back to the safety of the palm trees. Despite the burning of the fire, the island was quite peaceful. The palm trees slowly brushed the heavens, scraping their leaves across the sky. It was a somber moonlit night. The breeze gently weaved in and out of the vines, which were twisted among endless branches of trees.

The woman sighed slowly. She was too tired and shocked to cry any longer. The silence was suffocating. The people were dead, their bodies littering miles of the broken seashore. There was nothing she could do but watch. Watch as the fingers of death curled up slowly towards the brightly lit moon.

Then, she heard a sound.

Someone was moaning. Her heart beating rapidly, the woman ran frantically towards the noise, her footsteps dramatically dampened by the sand.

The person moaned again. Judging from the deepness of his voice, she judged him to be a man.

Someone was still alive. A glimmer of hope – however slight – was still burning.

"Hello?" the woman whispered softly, her voice cracked and hoarse from crying. When no one replied, she repeated the phrase in a louder voice.

"Hello?"

A grunt was heard.

Running as quickly as her feet could carry her, the woman finally reached her destination. It was a man. He was heavily wounded in his right arm. Blood encrusted his shirt, and deep cuts formed eerie patterns along his arms and neck.

The woman ripped a bit of fabric from her shirt and tenderly bandaged his cuts. He looked strangely familiar… Blonde hair, rigid and torn with sweat, lay raggedly across his face, which was bloodied from a gash across his forehead. He had ridiculously pale skin and a slightly pointed nose. His chin was strong and confident, suggesting an air of superiority, even though he was half unconscious.

The woman couldn't exactly put her finger on why he looked so familiar.

He moaned again and moved the arm that was still bleeding freely. The woman's gaze swept over his face and onto that arm. Lightly sweeping away the torn piece of fabric that covered his shoulder, she could make out a skull and a snake.

The Dark Mark.

Shaking, the woman dropped his arm onto the sand in shock. He was a Death Eater. A murderer. She couldn't possibly help him.

_But the blood…_

The woman closed her eyes to try to steady herself. Then she opened her eyes again. The boy – no, man – gazed back stonily at her; his face expressed little emotion except for the pain reflected in his gray eyes.

"Please…" he whispered softly. He apparently didn't seem to recognize her.

The suffering in his voice triggered the woman's heart.

With a new fixed resolution, the woman ripped off a part of her sleeve in an attempt to wrap another layer of bandaging around his first one. Death Eater or not, he was still a human.

Damn her guilty conscience.


	2. Reunited

**Chapter Two - Reunited**

Draco shifted uncomfortably as burning rays of sunlight penetrated his vision. Groaning slightly, he made an attempt to sit up but was immediately stopped when a slice of stinging fire shot up his arm. He fell back with a soft thump.

"Ahhh…" Draco inwardly groaned. Where was he? He felt thin grains of sand between his fingertips. Well, no matter where he was, it sure wasn't his own home.

Then everything flooded back to him.

The plane crash…the injury…the woman…

Wait. The woman? Ignoring the gnawing pain on his arm and back, Draco slowly sat up with a subtle determination. He remembered her now. Bushy, brown hair…amber eyes…and incredibly soft hands…

Why did that sound so familiar?

Shaking his limp, ragged hair from his eyes, he quickly took a look around him. He was on some kind of island…a tropical one by the look of it. The coast was jagged but smooth, and emerald, azure waves peacefully lapped up on the shoreline. Palm trees, vines, and tropical flowers lay behind him.

It was quite nice, actually. Besides the fact that bodies littered the beach, that was. And besides the point that he was in burning, agonizing pain. But even his injury didn't seem _that _bad now.

Suddenly, he felt something hard hit him on the head.

"Breakfast," a female voice greeted him. Well, her tone was a lot more annoyed, really. So she wasn't exactly _greeting_ him…

Rubbing his eyes, Draco squinted to get a better look at her. Yes, her form was developing now in the bright light. Bushy hair…amber eyes…a fierceness that looked strangely familiar…

_Oh shit._

"G-G-GRANGER?" Draco sputtered out in absolute shock.

_No, it can't…it can't be!_

Granger rolled her eyes in an aggravated manner. "Yes, genius," she said distastefully. "Now, eat it before I change my mind."

"I, er…" Draco glanced up but was met with a furious look. Okay then. A loud grumble in his stomach spoke out for him. Without another second wasted, he devoured the entire mango. It tasted blissfully sweet in his mouth, the juices squeezing gently out of the tropical fruit. It had already been a day before he had eaten, and he wasn't one to deny the opportunity to eat breakfast. Even if it had previously been in Granger's filthy hands.

Feeling slightly better, Draco shifted up so that he now faced Granger. Her back was turned to him. The sea was reflected in her eyes, as she calmly ate her piece of mango.

He loudly cleared his throat.

She didn't turn around to face him.

He loudly cleared his throat again.

Granger stood up and shot an exasperated glance at him. "What Malfoy?"

"Ummmm…I, er, well –"Draco felt lost at words. Should he thank her? After all, she did help him, even though she was beneath him. "Well, I –"

"_What?_" She angrily interrupted him. Fire reflected in her eyes. "Just because I helped you that once, _Malfoy_," she spat out with vengeance, "don't expect me to assist you any further." She threw down the mango's pit. And then without any sign, she started walking towards the jungle.

Draco sat shocked before starting to fume to himself. How dare she just leave him like that!

"Granger! Wait!" he shouted while using a nearby palm tree to lift himself up. Gasping from the physical exertion on his body, he called after her again. "Wait!"

Granger stopped in her tracks and sent him another icy glare, while putting her hands on her hips. "_What_, Malfoy?" she whispered dangerously. Then to his surprise, she suddenly started laughing.

He didn't see what's so funny.

Granger continued before he had a chance to ask what the hell was so funny.

"We're stranded on an island, Malfoy," was her simple explanation.

"No, duh." Draco rubbed his temple. Even a toad could figure that out.

"We're stranded on an island," she repeated. Exasperated at his blank expression, she threw her arms up in protest. "We're _stranded on an island, Malfoy!_ Don't you see? We're stranded on an island! There's no one here! We're alone!" She gestured panicky out to the sea. "There's no one to rescue us! We're all alone!"

Draco stayed silent, watching the escapade in half amusement, half worry for his own sanity.

She took a few frantic steps toward him. "Don't you understand?! There's no one here!" She was in a fit of hysteria now. "We're all alone! _I'm _all alone! Stuck with a Death Eater! A murderer! A child-kill –"

"That's enough now!" Draco seethed between his teeth. How dare she call him a murderer! Just because he was a Death Eater doesn't mean that he was a murderer…Well, not a real intentional murderer. He didn't exactly want to kill anyone; he didn't _mean_ to, at least…he was simply following orders from the Dark Lord, nothing more. Right?

Granger stomped her foot impatiently, yanking him out of his thoughts. "Well, _I'm_ leaving now Malfoy. Don't bother following me."

He snorted loudly. "Like I would even want to _look_ at you, Granger," he sneered bluntly. "It's bad enough being stuck on an island, much less with _you_."

Granger twitched slightly from the back, making Draco's sneer even wider, if possible. But she continued to ignore him, stomping heavily on the sand.

Well, he might as well have a little fun with this…

"Besides Granger," he drawled casually, while crossing his legs (which was quite hard to do, seeing that he was leaning on a palm tree for support), "I don't need any of your help. I'm quite fine without it. Never even better, if I say so myself."

Granger twitched again, and he could see that she was trying her hardest not to hex him right then and there.

Just a bit more…

"In fact," he said calmly, "I think it's quite convenient that it's just the two of us. If it was Potter, I daresay that he–"

But he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. Livid with anger, Granger had spun around and grabbed his injured arm, pinning him against the tree. Damn she was fast. Draco bit his lip to prevent himself from grimacing from the pain. Her face was just inches away from his.

"Leave Harry out of this," she whispered dangerously. With her right hand, she was fumbling through her pockets, looking for her wand, no doubt.

Except it wasn't there.

Draco felt his smirk broadened. "What's wrong, Granger? Wand not there? Unprotected on a stranded island?" He licked his lips slowly, taunting her greatly. "My, my, Granger." His voice dropped lower. "What will you do now that you're so vulnerable to the great Draco Malfoy?"

"I…" Granger's eyes widened as she dropped his arm. She fumbled furiously among her robes, searching frantically for her wand.

"I don't understand…it's not there..."

Draco leaned and amusingly watched her shuffle through her clothing. He could have easily been the one in control and grab _her _arm instead…if it wasn't for _his_ stupid wounded arm. Instead, he contented himself with humming a familiar tune.

_Yesterday I loved you…as never before…  
But please don't think me strange…  
I've undergone a change …  
And tonight I love you even more…_

It was an old lullaby his mother used to sing to him in his sleep. Strangely, it was a song that always seemed to calm his nerves, even in the most trying situations.

And this was considered to be a trying situation.

"I don't know where it could be," Granger mumbled under her breath, interrupting his tune. "I know I just placed it –"

"Oh for goodness sake Granger!" Draco yelled unexpectedly, causing her to jump a foot high. "Could there be the possibility that it could have been _broken_ from the plane crash? Or did that idea never manage to penetrate your thick skull?"

"I…" Realization dawned on Granger's face. "Yes, I supposed," she mumbled more, her brows tightly knitted together at the front of her forehead. "I suppose that is possible…"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Honestly, what would you do without me? In fact, I don't think you would be able to last two minutes here without the great –"

"Oh, _shut up_, _Malfoy!_" Granger shouted resignedly at him. Letting go of her robes, Granger continued angrily. "Do you honestly think that I need you here to survive? In case you've forgotten, _I_ was the one who bandaged up your bloody arms! In case you didn't notice, _I _was the one who brought you your bloody breakfast and kept you from spilling out your guts all over the sand from starvation! And in case you've completely blown up your sad excuse for a mind, _I_ absolutely abhor you! If you think that for one second, you are by any means superior to me, then forget any help from me to you! Just bloody well forget it!"

Granger paused for a second, while catching her breath. Her eyes shot such fire that even Draco didn't attempt to argue.

"And besides," Granger whispered. "If you're so bloody intelligent, then why don't we use _your _wand to call for help instead?"

_Because I don't want you to benefit too._

Draco opened his mouth to protest, but the fiery glare from Granger's eyes silenced him.

_Looks like someone's PMS-ing big time._

Scowling at being yelled at by an underling, he reached inside his robes for his wand. But to his surprise, his wand was missing as well.

_Oh bloody hell no…_

"It's gone," Granger stated simply, from the empty expression on Draco's face. "Oh bloody, perfect," she muttered sarcastically, throwing her hands up in the air for the second time. "Just bloody perfect. No wands, no magic. Just bloody well perfect."

She turned to face him, her amber eyes dimmed slightly. "Now what are we to do?"

Draco grumbled softly. "I thought you were the bloody genius," he muttered angrily. First being stuck with _this _mudblood, now his wand was missing? Could anything else go bloody wrong?

Suddenly, a sudden strike of lightning struck the sky. Then a soft rumble of thunder followed.

_Apparently so._

Granger's eyes widened, and Draco felt a small pang of annoyance. Apparently, they were too busy arguing to notice the gray, clouds that started to form. Another grumble of thunder led Draco to let out a stream of colorful words, some that he didn't even know he knew.

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

Even Granger seemed too preoccupied to scold him.

"Well, apparently, that's just _great_," he drawled sarcastically, hiding the fact that he was actually a bit worried. "Add a bit of rain to this craphole that we landed in, and _voila!_ We get a wonderful vacation. Just bloody tastic."

Granger shot him a quick glare. "We don't need your attitude now, Malfoy," she stated irately. She picked up a nearby stick and threw it at him, barely missing his head by a few inches. "You might as well help me build a shelter."

"We? Who the hell are _we_, Granger?" Draco matched her furious glare with his icy one. "I don't think there's any such thing as a _we_ here. There's only a _you _and a _I. _And in case you haven't noticed, the _I _isn't going to help the _you._"

Granger opened her mouth – to scream at him, no doubt – but instead, changed her mind. "Fine," she said, crossing her arms. "But if you get die from hypothermia, then don't blame me."

"Wasn't going to, Granger." Draco yawned, partly doing so just to infuriate her. "Well, I'll be off then."

Pushing himself gently from the tree, he was a bit wobbly on his feet before starting to limp away.

Huh. He didn't need her anyway. He can build his own shelter. Or better yet – find a nice, cozy cave and crawl into it.

He was just about to smile to himself before an annoying voice sliced through his thoughts.

"Just where did you think _you're_ going?!" Granger's voice reached him. She glared at him heatedly.

"To go find a shelter."

Much to his amusement, he saw Granger's jaw dropped, making her look a bit like a buffoon. "But…but you might get _killed!_"

He shrugged nonchantly. "I didn't think you'd care."

She closed her mouth in shock. Then, an angry bubbly clouded her face.

"Fine then! Just go for all I care! Just hope your remains don't stink up the entire island."

Draco smirked at her. "Don't worry, they won't. I'm a clean man."

* * *

**Smacks head repeatedly**

Grrr. I didn't like this chapter too much...and I still didn't get to explain fully why they couldn't use magic. But I promise, next chapter will explain it!

**Thank you for all the REVIEWS! They were very sweet. If you don't like something or see a mistake, please feel free to point it out. It helps tremendously.**

Now, please review this chapter as well, if you get a chance. Thanks a bunch!

P.S. Did anyone see Pirates of the Carribean 3 yet? I thought it was a bit odd...


	3. We're Not Alone

**Chapter 3 – We're Not Alone**

Hermione Granger was livid. Add to that the feelings of depression, confusion, and despair, and a pretty good idea of what Hermione was going through would be clear.

She shook her head miserably, while surveying the island for materials she could use to build a shelter. There was the plane, of course, but most of it has been burned up or tossed to the ground. Only a feeble wooden structure remained – literally a skeleton of its past. And then, of course, there were the dead bodies scattered around the beach.

A tear threatened to prick Hermione's eye. She still felt the heavy impact of her friends' death towards her – a leaden grief that would probably never pass.

But if she wanted to survive, she had to move on. She had to keep moving forward.

She wiped the tear before it could fall.

And then there was Malfoy. Hermione felt anger boil on the surface of her skin. Didn't he know the chances of surviving on a stranded island with just two survivors was little to nothing? Instead, he was being a complete arse about the whole deal, not even bothering to help her come up with a survival plan.

Hermione snorted. Who would she be kidding? The day Malfoy became cooperative would be the day she became the Queen of Sheba. And that was nearing no time soon.

Brooding heavily on her tough luck, Hermione went out to collect as many plane parts as possible, trying hard no to dwell too much on the past. It was over, and there was no point living in a time that you can't change, right? Right.

40 minutes later, Hermione found herself with a nice shelter – not wonderful, of course, but large enough to keep her dry for the night. _That should do quite nicely._ In fact, it looked quite cozy if she couldn't say so herself. Hermione stepped back proudly, beaming smugly at her creation. It seemed those camping trips with her dad really did pay off, even though she never really enjoyed the outdoors too much. Curling up in a cozy armchair by the fireside with a thick, dusty volume in her hands and a cup of hot chocolate - that was the type of scenario she preferred.

Oh how she missed the Gryffindor Common Room! Those years at Hogwarts were the best years of her life – long before the horror began.

Hermione shook her head again, trying to readjust her focus. _Moving on now._

Dropping down on her knees, she carefully started to crawl into the little shelter, careful not to disturb any of the branches or leaves she had placed as an overhead roof. Gently, she spread the airplane blankets and pillows (a few were fortunately spared) on the sand. Her palms were covered with sweat, mud, and cuts, but she didn't mind as much as she used to. It was nowhere as bad as the pus she had gotten on her hands in fourth year at Hogwarts.

Hermione felt herself wrinkle her nose slightly at the memory.

Suddenly, she felt a drop of water on her shoulder. Glancing up, she saw the thick, impending clouds that were gathering near. Black and ominous, sort of like an unlucky omen.

It was just starting to rain.

Leaning back, Hermione couldn't suppress a soft, sad smile. She had managed to finish just in time.

_If only the pain would leave as well._

* * *

_Ouch._

Draco groaned and rubbed his bandaged arm as a branch unfortunately whacked him in the chest. Steadying himself, he continued to push forward through the dense vegetation. A small stream trickled by to his right, its waters gently frolicking and winding easily through the impenetrable jungle.

How he wished he was part of that stream. _I knew I should have been an Animagi,_ he thought bitterly. It would have made his travel fifty times easier if he was an eagle. Heck, he would just fly off this island.

He smiled grimly to himself. Imagine the look on Granger's face when he was situated in a warm, cozy cave with his own fire going. Not that he was ever going to _share_ it with her, of course. But first, he had to find such an uninhabited cave, and that wasn't going to be ea –

_Beep._

Draco halted abruptly, spinning around to locate the source of the sound. That was strange…and it sounded like an electronic device. If there was technology, then…

Hope spread across Draco's face. Forget caves! A nice village with a couple of hut houses would be far better. If only he could find out where the noise was coming from.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

The beeps were behind him. Draco whirled around, straining his gray eyes to locate the sound. Then, he carefully started to edge forward, when…

"ARGGGG!" Draco cursed loudly as he tripped over something hard. He took in a few quick breaths before straightening up. Then he peered over at the object that had caused him to trip. It was a piece of metal, coated with a white thick substance.

Recognizing it, Draco stood up. It was a piece of the plane. But how could the plane be possibly located here? Unless that meant… t_he cockpit. _Grabbing a few small branches above his head, Draco heaved himself up. After a couple of steps, he finally found what he was looking for – the front of the plane. Jagged pieces of glass and metal littered the ground, and the seats were completely torn up.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Draco's eyes fell on what he was looking for – a transmitter. Carefully, he trotted around the broken pieces of material and picked up the muggle device hesitantly. It was black and light, as he gingerly weighed it in his palm. He remembered seeing something like this before on some muggle TV show…not that he ever would affiliate much with _muggles_. Didn't it send out some kind of signal or radio waves or something?

Draco held it to his ear before giving it a few strikes with his hand.

What the hell was he supposed to do with it?

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Suddenly, the screen went blank.

Draco cursed.

And for once in his life, he wished that Granger was there with him.

_She does have some uses,_ he had to admit. Perhaps that know-it-all brain of hers could do something useful and get the both of them off the island.

Throwing down the useless transmitter, Draco grunted before jumping up in a start. A wet drop had landed on his shoulder. Shit. It was about to rain.

Ducking for cover, Draco found himself running back towards the beach before he could think.

Granger better had some type of shelter prepared for the two of them.

* * *

Hermione watched the rain fall steadily, some of the water seeping through the leaves and tapping her lightly on the shoulder. Nevertheless, she was mostly dry and warm. 

Slowly, she traced patterns in the sand with her fingers. Twisting lines, curly spirals…she could just get lost in her designs. Relaxing, she allowed her eyes to loosen up their focus so that she was blankly staring into space. Soft, pearly white moonlit rays formed a pattern of small polka dots on her blanket and pillow.

Sighing, Hermione closed her eyes. She was so tired after all the physical exertion of building her shelter. Sleep was only a few minutes away…

"Granger. Wake up!"

Hermione groaned and turned to look at the wide eyed man peering through a crack between two plane pieces leaning against each other.

"What?" she angrily asked.

"Where's my shelter?"

Hermione felt her blood boil inside. "WHAT?!"

"My shelter," Malfoy persistently stated. His pale hair and clothes were completely soaked, causing his shirt to stick to his body. "Didn't you build me a shelter?"

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Well, she could, seeing that it was Malfoy. But still.

"Whatever happened to your precious cave?" Hermione snarled sarcastically, facing his willowed stare with her fierce one.

Malfoy didn't bother answering. Instead, "I found a transmitter device," he whispered urgently.

That did the desired effect; Hermione sat straight up and glanced at him curiously. Perhaps there was hope after all! "Where is it?"

"I have it here. I'll only give it to you if you let me sleep in that shelter instead."

"Oh for goodness sakes!" Hermione felt her rage build up. "This isn't about your stupid negotiations! This is about survival! Life or death! I don't have time to play your foolish games!" She huffed angrily. "This is about escaping! Now give me the transmitter!"

"First, the shelter," Malfoy drawled.

Hermione seethed in between her teeth. She couldn't believe the nerve of that dreadful git. He was insufferable.

"Malfoy," she whispered dangerously. "Don't make me hex you."

"You forgot – you don't have your wand," Malfoy said smugly. He pretended to toy with something in his sleeve. "Give me a dry place to sleep, and I may just help you."

"I don't need your bloody help." Besides, it didn't matter if he had the transmitter or not. As long as it was _working; _that was enough for a close by airplane or ship to pick up.

Malfoy raised an eyebrow. Then a grin began to form on his face. "Really?" he asked coyly. "It seemed that you were just begging for the transmitter a moment ago –"

"Oh, shut up!" Hermione yelled. "Isn't there some dark magic you could do or something to get us out of here?"

"No."

But Hermione didn't bother listening to him. Wasn't there some kind of international magic distress call or something? The amber-eyed witch furrowed her brows, desperately trying to remember a passage she remembered reading about in her years at Hogwarts. Nothing came.

Well, there was always wandless magic.

"_Periculum!_" Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and focused on the distress spell. She waited for something – _anything –_ to come. A few minutes was all she needed…

"Ouch!" Hermione yelped as something searing hot hit her head. Immediately, a wave of nausea washed over her body.

"Well?" growled Malfoy unhelpfully. "Anything?"

Hermione ignored him. She rubbed her head a few times, massaging her temples to get rid of the sudden headache. It didn't make sense. Why wasn't she allowed to use magic? It was as if the spell, which was supposed to send red sparks into the air, bounced off something and returned to her.

Wait. _Bounced off?_ What could a magic spell possibly bounce off of? Unless…

"Malfoy," Hermione hissed, suddenly grabbing Malfoy's soaked shirt. "Say a spell!"

"What?"

"Use wandless magic! Say the spell in your head, and concentrate on it!"

"Why in god's name would I want to do that?!"

"_Just do it!"_

"Okay, okay." Malfoy squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds. Then… "ARGGG!" he rubbed his head painfully. "What the hell was that?!"

Hermione shifted so that she could see him clearer. "There's some kind of force field on this island," she explained. "That's the only thing that's keeping us from sending out any distress signals." She sighed. "The only way we'll be able to get off this island is to do it the obvious way – create a bonfire. Unfortunately, the ground is too wet right now to do anything."

Malfoy simply gaped at her. "You mean there's a giant _bubble_ surrounding this craphole?" he exclaimed. "I don't believe it!"

Hermione fought to remain calm, but for once, she secretly agreed with Malfoy. Who would bother to disguise an entire island from the face of the earth? Unless…

Grimly, Hermione turned to look Malfoy directly in the eye.

"Malfoy, I don't think we're alone."

* * *

Gah. Well, there's Chapter 3 for you; each chapter seems to be getting a little bit longer eh? Hehehehehe. Plus, there was some sort of error in uploading the document; all the sentences were smushed into one paragraph. I had to space everything out afterwards. Blah. It was grueling work. 

**Did the chapter make sense to you? Don't forget to review please! Any little comment or opinion is welcome:D I would offer cookies, but unfortunately, we ran out of cookie dough. Gee.**

And again, thank you for all your kind reviews. They helped a ton!

Last note: A few of you stated that I had a few spelling mistakes. Could you perhaps give me an example of one? I'll be sure to fix it.

Strange...I thought I spell-checked it a few times with Word. I suppose you can't always trust the little paper clip guy! Lol.

P.S.: KarateKairi - the Dark Mark is located on the upper forearm, according to the fourth book. Thanks for telling me though!


	4. Rumble in the Jungle

**Chapter 4 – Rumble in the Jungle**

"Gee, Granger," Malfoy said glaring at her, "I know your brain is mush, but this is just too much." He rubbed his head gingerly. "There is no earthbound way that we're stuck on this island. Not if I can help it."

Hermione sighed. "Do you honestly _**think**_ that I like being stuck here either? Besides" – she glared at him – "what other explanation could there be? Obviously, someone took the trouble to shield or disable this entire island from magic of any sort. The only logical reason anybody would ever do that is to hide something. Or someone. And the only reason that they want to hide someone or something is if it's extrem –"

"Wait, so let me get this straight," interrupted Malfoy impatiently. "You're saying that there's some ancient magical artifact hidden here? Like some magical dangerous relic or something?" He raised his eyebrows and shot her a sarcastic laugh.

"Just let me finish!" Hermione snapped angrily. "It's bad enough having you _here_, let alone you interrupting my every explanation. I want to get off this place as much as you do! Now hush and listen."

Malfoy grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "mudblood", but Hermione ignored him. "Anyway," she continued matter-of-factly, "there's something or someone hiding here, most likely a someone. Death Eaters or –"

"There are no Death Eaters hiding here," Malfoy broke off her statement. His eyes were still peering through the little crack at the bottom of her refuge. "Now, if you don't mind _Granger_, I would like to come in now. Or you come out. There's no way I'm going to lie down on my belly while listening to your ridiculous rants any longer."

Hermione gritted her teeth. "Fine," she snapped. "I'll come out. But don't think you can just sneak in here either."

Lying down on her stomach, she carefully slid out through the narrow opening between two plane parts. "There, are you happy?" she muttered, brushing away the sand. She was greeted by a very grumpy looking Malfoy, who was now covered with sand in addition to his soaked clothing.

"Aren't you cold?" she asked peering at him distastefully. He looked remarkably like a sand/ocean monster now that everything seemed to stick to his wet shirt.

Malfoy turned an indifferent eye on her. "I'm used to this things," he mumbled. Then he glared. "Besides, it's none of your business. I'm fine."

"Alright, then. Anyway, as I was say –"

"Are we going to make a campfire?" Malfoy suddenly asked. "I'm cold."

Hermione's jaw dropped wide open. "I just asked you that!" she exclaimed furiously.

Malfoy shrugged. "It doesn't count when _you _ask," he explained calmly. "Now, shall we make a campfire?"

Hermione was enraged. _Did he not listen to a thing I was saying?_

_Just keep your cool, Hermione. Just don't lose it. Yet._

"The ground is too wet to make a fire," she heard herself saying again, while crossing her arms. "Now, as I was _saying_ before I was rudely interrupted," – she shot Malfoy a death glare – "there must be someone or something dangerous enough in order for the Ministry to seal off the entire island; perhaps not Death Eaters, but a creature or something that has been deemed as too perilous for human contact. That's the only thing that makes –"

_ROAR!_

"Malfoy, will you please stop making those ridiculous noises!" Hermione retorted irritably. "I've had enough to deal with without you waltzing in and acting like some sort of King! Because whether you like it or not, we're together now. And that's the only way we'll get out of this place alive."

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Fine," he sighed. "But just to tell you Granger, that wasn't me."

Hermione's eyes widened before she gave out a loud scoff. "Please Malfoy," she said. "Like who else could be roaring at this time at night? Some kind of monstrous creat –"

A loud, piercing roar cut her off. But unlike last time, the sound caused the trees and sand to vibrate quickly, the pebbles near her feet pulsating slightly. Hermione felt her heart jingle faintly inside her chest as she and Malfoy were forced to plug their ears. A flock of birds flew out of the palm trees.

Then, silence.

Malfoy was first to break the stillness. "What the bloody hell was _that_?" he cried, voicing her thoughts out loud. "Bloody hell, Granger, I think that _was_ some type of creature!"

But Hermione was too shaken to notice that Malfoy had agreed with her. Slowly, she nodded her head.

"But what is it?"

Malfoy shrugged unworriedly before flopping down again next to her. "Shouldn't you know?" he asked disdainfully, his gray eyes boring into hers. "After all, you were friends with that bloody oaf who taught – _pretended to teach_ – Care of Magical Creatures."

Too stunned to reprimand him, Hermione rolled her eyes. "Like you expect me to be able to identify a creature from a single _roar?" _she asked. "Some beasts have unique calling sounds, but this beast doesn't seem to have any distinctive voice."

Malfoy shrugged again. "Whatever. You're the bloody genius." He turned away from her to look out to the sea. The light from the ocean waves gently danced in his eyes.

"This is so screwed," he mumbled irately.

Hermione sighed, a sudden wave of lethargy suddenly hitting her. Did Draco Malfoy just compliment her a minute ago? Well, no matter. She was too tired to think straight any longer.

"I'm going back inside," she informed him, annoyed. It wasn't like he was actually **_listening to her_**, anyway.

Malfoy spun back to face her. "And where will I sleep?" he asked.

It was Hermione's turn to shrug. "I don't know," she answered truthfully. Normally, she would be smirking at his troubled situation, but she was much too fatigued to do so. "Just sleep on the beach."

Malfoy frowned. "There's is no bloody way I'm sleeping on the beach!" he yelled, annoyed. "Not with that…that _thing_ howling and roaming free!"

"Then build your own shelter. It's your own fault."

He huffed angrily.

Hermione smirked. She just couldn't help it. Perhaps this situation could just work to her advantage…

"Actually…" she began, putting on a worried face. "Now that I think about it, the creature that we heard sounds remarkably like a Nundu. They both contain the same pitches and volume levels." She shot Malfoy a fake scared look. "In fact, the Nundu is a creature with a classification of five X's – considered by the wizarding world to be the most dangerous creature that ever prowled the earth. It has never been trained or domesticated before, and only a pack of a hundred or more trained wizards has ever been known to stun it."

Of course, Malfoy didn't need to know that it only lived in East Africa.

"You're lying," he snarled, staring fiercely at her. But she could detect a slight worry in his voice.

"Well," she stated sweetly. "I suppose I could be." She shrugged nonchalantly. "But of course, _I _wouldn't know since my words obviously don't mean much to you, since you kept on _interrupting _them."

"Ha! I knew it!" Malfoy sneered at her. "Like such a beast could exist." But even Hermione still couldn't help but notice an instant sign of relief on Malfoy's part. Her smirk only grew wider.

"Oh, it really does," Hermione pointed out. "Except it mainly only resides in East Africa, not to mention that there aren't too many left. What we heard is probably only a jaguar; however, there are always the Lethifolds that roam tropical islands…"

Malfoy's eyes darted around nervously, but for only a second. However, that was enough for Hermione to catch.

"Ha!" he laughed nervously. "Like I'm going to believe that." He crossed his arms and smirked, if not tensely, at her. "I'm not stupid," he declared confidently.

She shrugged. "Think whatever you want. I personally don't care."

"What is it, though?" Malfoy asked her curiously.

Hermione smirked. Her plan to torture Draco Malfoy was going well.

"It's a rare creature found only in tropical climates," she acknowledged. "Like the Lethifold, it is also a level 5 classification. The creature is known to smother and digest its victims while they're sleeping, preferably on moonlit nights. However, it's merciful enough to kill its victims rapidly and silently. They often don't have a second time to think before the beast suffocates them." Hermione brushed the information off lightly. "But no matter, I'm going to be safe inside my shelter."

Of course, she wouldn't be any safer than Malfoy was, since Lethifolds had the ability to slip in between cracks and/or doors. But he didn't need to know that either.

Nevertheless, the information did the trick. Malfoy's eyes widened in horror, and he took a few steps back. He was obviously trying to mask his disgust under his usual icy exterior.

"Well then," Hermione finished off airily. Before disappearing into her shelter, however, she shot him a sickenly sweet grin. "Sweet dreams, Malfoy," she whispered innocently. Mockingly, more like it. "Don't let the bed bugs – or should I say creatures? – bite."

The last glimpse of Malfoy's face she caught was one of utter terror.

* * *

Hi, I'm back. :D I liked this chapter a lot better than the last one, probably because there's more Draco/Hermione interaction. I think I probably will rewrite Chapter 3 once I have more time. It was a bit icky, and much too short for my liking. Plus, I don't think they got much accomplished.

As always, **THANK YOU FOR THE LOVELY REVIEWS! **If anyone reviewed, just know that I greatly appreciated it. Thanks a bunch!

**As well, PLEASE BE SURE TO REVIEW THIS CHAPTER:) **I didn't get many reviews so far (only 11 lol), but many story alerts and favorites. **If you like something, please point it out. If you don't like something, point it out as well :D**

Once again, thank you for reading this. Every reader and review brightens my day. :D


	5. We're Even Now

**Chapter 5 – We're Even Now**

The next morning dawned clear, and to Hermione's slight displeasure, Malfoy was very much still alive. So alive that his arm managed to somehow slide through her shelter and wind up smack on her chest.

Throwing his arm off of her, Hermione sat up and grumbled. It was bad enough having Malfoy on the same island _with _her. She didn't need his limbs giving her an attitude as well. Not to mention that it was on the wrong part of her, hem hem, _anatomy._

Talk about male instincts.

Hermione sighed, crawled out, and rubbed her eyes tiredly as she stood blinking in the bright sunlight. Her stomach growled, bluntly reminding her of her feeble breakfast yesterday. If she – no,_ they_ – were going to survive, they would both have to somehow locate a source of nutrition. The mango tree that she found yesterday was plentiful; however, with three meals a day, it would last for only about two weeks. Three weeks, if they were conservative.

Hermione frowned.

And then there was the issue of the creature they heard roar yesterday. No matter what she had told Malfoy yesterday, it was obviously not a jaguar. Not even close. And until she had enough evidence to identify the beast, it could be lurking anywhere on the island. Neither of them was safe until they somehow managed to kill – Hermione flinched at the thought – or stun the creature. And she had no idea how they were going to manage that task without wands or magic.

That was a real problem.

_Oh well,_ Hermione thought with a sigh. She would worry about that later. Right now, food was the first priority before she could even remotely think straight.

Tired, she cast an annoyed glance at Malfoy's sleeping form. He was sprawled face first into the sand, his snoring greatly reminding Hermione of a lawnmower – loud, obnoxious, and incredibly irritating.

Tiptoeing carefully around him, she gave his face a gentle nudge with her foot. When he didn't budge, she gave him a harder push. He continued to sleep like a rock. Or a big, oversized baby.

Hermione groaned loudly and did the first thing she thought of. Without warning, she plopped down and sat on him.

_Not bad. Soft…sort of like a demented, twisted armchair._

Giggling softly at the thought, Hermione gave a few bounces. Malfoy was actually pretty fun to tease while sleeping.

"Bloody hell, Granger!" a muffled voice was heard beneath her. The former Slytherin growled and gave Hermione an aggressive push. She responded by sliding and plopping down on the sand next to him.

A pair of aggravated, sluggish gray eyes met hers' as Malfoy sat up and faced her. "Trying to give me a lap dance already?" he growled drowsily. His lips then turned to form a smirk. "Not that I mind, of course," he added slyly. "Though I'd rather have it in the evening…"

Hermione rolled her eyes at his male-ness. "Very funny," she remarked dryly. "But in case you haven't noticed, we haven't eaten anything in the last 20 hours. If we're to survive, we'll have to find a source of food that'll last us a few weeks. And we can't keep on eating mangos."

"Fine." Malfoy stood up and stretched. "But I haven't got anything against mangos if that's what you're wondering," he pointed afterwards.

"Well, I don't either," Hermione replied, irritated at his selfishness. "But we need a balanced diet. Eating mangos will eventually harm us in the long run if we keep on eating them over and over. Now, let's go."

She turned to head into the jungle. Malfoy, probably still too lethargic to argue, followed submissively behind.

* * *

"I don't see anything bloody edible," Draco grumbled after what seemed like a few hours of walking. He was starting to get frustrated by the minute. Granger had led him straight into the middle of nowhere, and besides the mango tree that she had pointed out to him, there was absolutely nothing else edible to eat. The only reason they haven't stopped yet was because they both had consumed two mangos a piece, one of which didn't seem to agree too well with his stomach. 

"Just be patient," answered Granger calmly, with no trances of anger. Draco fumed. How the hell could she remain so calm in such a desperate situation? It was beyond his comprehension. "We should see _something_ soon."

Draco only snarled as his response. His legs felt wobbly, and he wouldn't be surprised if they were going to give out soon.

"I'm tired," he complained, halting in his tracks. "Let's stop here to rest."

They had just wandered to a large tropical waterfall with numerous large slabs of granite rock – very convenient, if he could say so himself. Water heavily cascaded down, probably with the rate of several tons of water a minute. Ferns, algae, and mosses littered the ground, while tall palms and trees formed a canopy above them. It looked like one of the pictures he saw out of a magazine. _Quaint_.

Granger opened her mouth to argue but decided otherwise. Slowly, she nodded. "Alright," she sighed. "Let's rest for half an hour or so. Then, we'll have to keep moving." She dropped down onto a block besides the fall and started to message her feet.

Draco followed, sitting on a rock adjacent to hers. The pool of water looked refreshingly alluring.

The both of them sat in silence for a few minutes, quietly reflecting on their own personal lives. An occasional grunt could be heard from Draco as he shifted his posture.

"So…" came Granger's voice to the left of him suddenly. She turned and shifted him so her bright brown eyes peered into his. "Where were you all these years anyway?"

The question struck Draco by surprise.

"I was hiding," he replied hollowly, glancing at Granger. She seemed to suddenly have formed an air of curiosity – one that he didn't feel comfortable with. He still clearly remembered all his days at Hogwarts. That same air of curiosity had always managed to beat him in all his classes…always allowing her to score a few points higher than him on all their exams…

"I thought you were a Death Eater."

"Well…" Draco hesitated. "I was." He shrugged. "I killed the occasional wanderer, but that's about it. And of course, I did away with those who came looking for me."

"Oh," Granger said softly. "But where were you hiding?"

Draco scowled and looked at her coldly. Why was she asking so many questions? It wasn't as if it was _her_ business or anything…

Glancing up, he saw that Granger's eyes were still gazing at him inquisitively.

"In Albania," he replied, unfeeling.

"Oh. So you weren't _exactly_ a Death Eater..."

He frowned and gazed back at her. "I was," he stared hard at her. "Just because I didn't murder and rape _ruthlessly_ doesn't mean that I wasn't one."

"I didn't mean it like that," Granger said quickly. "I just mean…you weren't very active in the War, that's all."

"And should I take that as a _good_ thing?" he asked, leering slightly, standing up abruptly as if the tropical air around them suddenly turned cold. "I suppose it gave me less of an opportunity to murder more innocents, doesn't it?" His mocking tone was plain enough for her to hear.

"I suppose," Granger answered dully. "I – _what are you doing?_" she suddenly exclaimed, noticing his sudden movements. With minimum difficulty, he had pulled his shirt over his head while she was speaking. It was now placed smoothly on another slab of rock nearby.

Draco stretched and yawned, shooting Granger a small smirk as she gaped, startled, at his naked torso. "Like what you see?" he teased, glad to get off the subject of the War. It was depressing.

Granger snapped her jaw shut but was still gazing at him disconcertingly. "What gives you the right to just take of your shirt like – _like _that?" she huffed angrily.

He shrugged casually, while shooting her another small grin. "I'm going swimming," he remarked, unperturbed by Granger's vulture-like gawk. He was used to girls gaping at him, after all.

"You _what?_" Granger immediately jumped on her feet, looking at him as if he had sprouted an extra head. She gestured frantically at the turquoise pool of water. "You don't even know what's in there!"

"I know that it's clear and cooling." Draco stretched again and looked at her horrified stare. "I don't know about you _Granger_" – he emphasized her name – "but this hot, humid heat is doing nothing for my body." He pointed at his pale blonde hair, which now appeared to be separated into several frizzy chunks. "I need to cool off a bit before walking any longer."

Without waiting for another word from Granger, he dived in gracefully, landing with a minimum splash.

* * *

Hermione flinched at the sight of seeing Malfoy enjoying himself immensely. True, she was heating up rapidly…but _swimming_? In a pond full of god-knows-what? She shook her head rapidly. There could be dangerous creatures living in there for all they knew! 

Not that she cared what happened to Malfoy.

It was merely the simple fact of what would happen to _her_ if Malfoy was devoured and eaten by a school of hungry fish. Because, you know, he _was_ useful in some aspects…although Hermione couldn't figure out exactly _what_ yet…

Leaning back, the Gryffindor crossed her arms and stared at the Slytherin's relaxed form. Oh god was he infuriating…flaunting _his _happiness while she was boiling under the burning sun…

Fine then. Two could play at that game.

Hermione repositioned herself on the pink rock and forced a smile. _I'll just start whistling a merry tune then…_

_Whistle while you work…_

_Lalalalalala…_

_Come on get smart and start to um, _

_Whistle while you work?_

She was busy trying to figure out the lyrics when suddenly, a pair of wet arms yanked her into the crystal pool.

Hermione instantly froze up in shock as she felt the cooling waters engulf her. Her mind felt numb, the water slowly penetrating deeper into her skin like an icy grip.

Softly, she heard Malfoy snicker behind her.

_Stupid Git._

"What…did you do…_that_ for?" she sputtered between gasps for air. Her arms failed wildly, thrashing the waters around her. "I – can't – bloody – swim – well – you – know!" Her head bobbed up and down unceremoniously a couple of times before plunging underwater again.

In the meantime, Malfoy was busy laughing derisively at her. "I think we're even now, don't you?" he sneered while casually swimming around her.

_Even?_

"For – what?" Hermione managed to choke out in between breaths. The cold water felt as if it was seeping into her lungs, choking off her air supply.

"For trying to scare me the other day." Malfoy stopped swimming and crossed his arms before letting out a haughty scoff. "You don't honestly think I actually _believed_ you, did you?" he asked indignantly.

_You sure acted like it_, grumbled Hermione underwater. She struggled and managed to resurface again, gasping loudly for breath. "A little – help – here!" she shrieked wildly, still floundering her arms around madly.

"Not yet. I'll give you a few more minutes."

Hermione gave out a shout of frustration. She kicked her legs hard and managed to stay above water for a few minutes.

Finally, she felt herself relax as a pair of strong arms encircled themselves around her waist.

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" drawled Malfoy close to her. He dragged her towards the shore. "A bit too short for my liking…but I think you suffered enough." He smirked cheekily before placing her gently back on the rock.

"_That wasn't funny_," Hermione cried, enraged. She could have drowned easily!

"On the contrary," Malfoy snickered, while floating on his back, "that was the most fun I had just yet."

* * *

Gah. Well, there was the next chapter for you! Sorry it took me a while to update; my internet was down for the past few days.

**Again, PLEASE REVIEW! ALL REVIEWS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED!**

As well, I just realized I forgot to put a disclaimer on the past 3 chapters. Well, once again (I'm saying this for the entire fanfic) I do not own Harry Potter or any of its existing characters. They all belong to the Great J.K. Rowling.

**Once more, THANKS FOR READING! AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW AS MUCH AS YOU CAN:D**


	6. Memories

**Disclaimer: Me no own.**

**Please don't forget to REVIEW:)**

* * *

**Chapter Six - Memories**

The warm tropical air pressed itself against Hermione's skin like a thick, smothering blanket. A bead of sweat trickled down her face as she pushed onwards, ignoring the swarms of gnats that seemed too keen to follow her. Malfoy dragged on behind her, his face in a similar state of disarray.

_Serves him right_, Hermione thought angrily. She could hardly walk, feeling extremely uncomfortable in her soaked clothes. His were at least dry, with the exception of his trunks. _Blasted idiot._

Hermione shook her head and continued. They each dragged on through the impenetrable jungle, neither of them speaking a word to one another for another forty minutes or so. Countless species of vegetation passed them; strangely, none of them bearing any recognizable fruit. There were many forms of wildlife, however - tropical birds, warthogs, fish, and plenty of reptiles. Worse come to worse, they can always roast fish to eat, providing that they can come up with a way to catch them.

Finally, she came to a halt. The trail that they had been trekking on blazoned, stretching on for a couple of miles behind the two of them. They weren't being the least discreet. _Anything can follow us here_, the former Gryffindor thought with a gulp. _Or anyone_ – although she highly doubted that this island had any human inhabitants. Well, at least according to Malfoy. But honestly - since when could she trust Malfoy's opinion?

"Why are we stopping?" came his voice behind her.

Hermione ignored his question. Behind them, the sun was setting rapidly, its rich colors of burgundy, gold, and cherry spreading through the horizon. It would be nightfall soon, and they would need a place to stay. Panic instantly gripped her heart; they were miles from the shore! And it was far too late for them to try to make it back.

_Oh bugger._

"We'll need a place to stay," she stated hoarsely, a vague sense of despair starting to creep in. "For the night. We ventured too far."

Her words were instantly greeted by silence. Then –

"_What do you mean we ventured too far?_" Malfoy hissed venomously. He glared at her, his steel eyes boring into hers.

"I mean that we went too far from the shore," Hermione answered automatically. "We won't have time to make it back before nightfall. I'm afraid we'll have to camp here for the night."

She felt scared…but angry at the same time. If it wasn't for her _stupidity_…

"_What do you mean we'll have to camp here for the night?_" Malfoy echoed heatedly. He took a few threatening steps towards her. "There is no _bloody_ way I'm camping here for the night Granger. And if you –" he edged closer – "think that I will, then you are most absolutely _wrong._"

Hermione felt the familiar feeling of exasperation approach her. "I don't know Malfoy!" she yelled, throwing her hands up in frustration. She was _so stupid_, thinking that they had enough time to trek a bit further, beyond the falls, for food! Now they were standing here defenseless…in the middle of the jungle. No wand, no bows, no rocks…not even a sticks or branches to fend dangerous creatures off with!

_Oh bugger squared._

"I j-just don't know," she repeated, softer. She sank down on her knees, feeling extremely dejected. This was the first time – the _first _time – that she had made such a crucial mistake. She over calculated it. She over calculated the time that it would take for them to return. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to think. But nothing came. Her stomach was empty. She couldn't think straight on an empty stomach.

The wind rustled gently around her, causing the leaves of the trees surrounding her to crackle delicately. She stared at the ground, her amber eyes slowly relaxing into the mounds of wet dirt…anything to avoid _his_ eyes.

She knew it was her fault. She was the one who lead them here! And now the both of them were just going to turn into something else's dinner…just because of her damn _stupidity_ and _perseverance._

And the familiar sunset…

Without warning, Hermione felt herself suddenly burst into tears. They rolled down her cheeks, leaving streaks on her forlorn face. _It was all her fault…all her fault!_

Instantly, Malfoy was beside her, softly patting her shoulder. "It'll be okay," he murmured kindly into her ear. "It'll –er – be okay…"

Draco had no idea what the hell he was doing. One minute he was seething and wallowing in his own fury and the next, he was on the ground next to Granger committing a random act of goodness.

_Argggg. It burns! The goodness burns!_

Draco shook his head to clear his thoughts. Granger's words came out in half-sobs, and he couldn't understand what half of them meant. But then again, they came out in _half_-sobs, so of course he wouldn't understand what _half_ of them meant…

"I- I killed u-u-s," Granger blubbered on hopelessly, immediately yanking him out of his thoughts. Her face was buried in both of her hands. "A-a-an-and the-they wi-will e-eat u-us –"

_Who will eat us?_ Draco's mind immediately asked him. He merely shrugged his shoulders in response, while still aimlessly patting Granger's back.

"No one will eat us," he mumbled awkwardly. "We should –er –be okay anytime soon…"

_What the hell was he saying?_

Granger shook her head, her face still out of his view. "N-no, y-yo-you d-don't understand…the s-sunset…"

_What? The sunset? Was Granger secretly an ogre or something? Because that would explain the whole I'm-not-sharing-my-shelter-with-you episode they had last time._

_Look, _he imagined saying to her, _I know you're ugly, but really…an ogre? Surely, you can't be that hideous!_

Granger started sobbing louder, her tears soon spilling over her hands. "A-and n-n-now I'm u-ugly…" she cried noisily.

Whoops. Did he really just say that out loud? Heh.

"You're not ugly," Draco said truthfully, still continuing his little patting ritual. "And we're _not_ going to become ogre – er, I mean buzzard food," he firmly added. "Not if I can help it. Now come on, let's get you up." He made a vainful attempt to pull her up but only succeeded in collapsing back down to the ground. But he refused to give up that easily.

"Come on!" he gasped heavily, trying again to lift her off the ground again. He slipped an arm around her shoulder and made a desperate attempt to pull upwards. After five minutes of trying, however, he sunk back next to her, exhausted and panting for breath. _Great._ Now his bum was aching painfully in addition to his breathing. It's wonders what a day without significant food could do to a man. It figures.

"The s-sunset," Granger wailed again, snapping Draco back to her. She shifted uncomfortably close to Draco, who was now making a huge effort not to run away. He wasn't very good at handling emotionally distressed women. "L-l-like th-the f-f-fire…"

_The fire?_ Draco shot her a puzzled glance before a look of understanding crossed his face. The fire. _Oh_.

It was about that stupid-Potty and Weasel-dying-thing again. He supposed he was heavily injured then; however, that didn't prevent him from seeing Potter's and Weasley's limp figures on the beach. He didn't really care though. They meant so little to him, after all…

But nevertheless, _this topic_ was highly out of his control. He clamped his lips together tightly, making a huge effort not to talk. No doubt nothing nice would come out anyway.

They sat there for another good 15 to 20 minutes, Granger's bawl shaking the island and probably waking every living creature up. Draco's wrist began to feel tired from patting so much when she finally quieted down, her sobs turning softer and softer by the minute. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she stopped, her huge amber eyes – now red, from crying her head off – looking soulfully around before resting on Draco's.

He jumped up instantly, vying for a chance to stretch his legs. "Well, I suppose we ought to go on now," he declared loudly. "Let's go, Gra –" He abruptly stopped, looking back down at Granger. She didn't move but only stared at him woefully. Scowling, the Slytherin flopped back down next to her, grimacing as his bum slammed back on the ground. _So much for that_, his mind grumbled, annoyed.

"T-thanks," she muttered softly when he was once again seated next to her. "I normally don't cry like this you know. It's just that the s-sunset looks so much like…" She broke off again, and Draco glanced in alarm, lest she break out into tears again. But she didn't. Instead, she gulped and continued.

"L-like the fire. It looks so much like the fire... Well, it _looked _so much like the fire."

The sunset was fading now, and the night was slowly beginning to emerge. Draco could see faint glimmers of the stars through the sun's feeble rays. They _really_ needed to be going soon…

Granger had buried herself in her hands again. "I just miss them so much, you know?" she whispered quietly, wrapping her arms around her knees. "They were everything to me…everything I could possibly want from friends. They were my whole world, my entire life…everything…" She took a deep breath and turned her head to face his. "How about you?" she asked gently. "Did you ever miss anyone?"

Draco quickly drew a sharp intake of breath. He didn't really, did he? Well, not Crabb or Goyle if that was what she was asking…they weren't much more than bodyguards. He never really had friends, come to think of it. Well, there was Blaise, but he was still alive, no doubt murdering muggles at this very moment.

But then again, there was always his…

"My mother," he replied emotionlessly, turning his head to meet her straight in the eye. "She died just recently." He drew another breath, trying to push down his feelings of rage and despair underneath an icy mask.

And guilt. Guilt, most of all.

"Oh," Granger whispered next to him. "I'm really sorry."

He shook his head. "No, don't be," he replied as calmly as he could. "There's no need…" He let out a short laugh, one that sounded course and rough in his throat. "It's over, isn't it?" he asked, smiling grimly. He made another quick effort to jump up, but Granger rapidly placed her hand on his shoulder, pressing him down.

"No, please continue," she said sincerely. "Don't leave yet."

Draco glumly sat back down. His mother…that wasn't really a memory that he wanted to share with anyone – _Granger_, least of all.

"It'll make you feel better," a voice said to the left of his ear. Her hand moved down to grip his. "You can't hold it in forever."

_She's right you know_, a small voice squeaked in his head. _You might as well tell it…_

_Oh very well._

"She died trying to save me," Draco murmured. He turned away from her, and focused instead on the plant in front of him. "The circle – there was a circle of Death Eaters surrounding me, and I was about to become one of them…about to fully enter into the Dark Lord's services. They were about to brand me –" he took another breath – "when she screamed. She cried for me not to do it, cried for me to run…to run away and never look back. She cried for me to turn away to the Light Side…"

He trailed off and squeezed his eyes, before continuing, his voice regaining its usual coolness. He couldn't let her see his pain.

"And then there was a flash of green light…and well, she was dead before she hit the ground."

He gave another soft laugh, one that barely reached the rest of his features. "But don't worry about it," he added cooly. "It's long gone."

He recounted the dark room. It was a circular stone gray room with bleak walls, surrounded with countless of men and women in dark masks and dark cloaks, all zombies and ghosts of what they once were…and a woman. There was a woman, his mother – a beacon of brilliant hope that seemed to spread throughout the space. And in the next moment, there was a body…the body of the same woman, her face twisted in unimaginable horror…horror that Draco had never seen before, her blue eyes expressing such sorrow that he had so desperately tried to repress for countless of years…

She was dead; dead and would never come back. But he didn't mind. It was over, anyway.

Draco took a deep breath and opened his eyes. The familiar setting of the jungle flooded back into his memory, and the warm air brought back blood to his skin. He realized that he was shaking – but only for a brief moment.

Granger was watching him intently, her mouth a stern line. She didn't say anything but instead, gripped his hand harder in her's.

And for a while, silence.

Night had just fallen.

* * *

Gee. I can not write sentimental moments for some reason! They tend to come out all...blah. 

Well, once again, **Please Review! Review, Review, Review! **

**I hope to at least reach 35 reviews before the next chapter...and that's not much at all.**

Again, thanks for reading!


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